P.P.T.A.’s staff plea

Press, 17 April 1979, Page 6

P.P.T.A.’s staff plea

PA Auckland i I. The possibility of increased i ancillary staff in schools will do little to raise the morale! of overburdened teachers or ease their workloads, accord;ng to the president of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association (Mr R. E. M. Hodge). Mr Hodge referred to a; report that the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington)) intends to recommend in-, creases in ancillary- staffing for approval by the Cabinet. "The Government does not ippear to be facing up to the growing staff crises in State' secondary schools,” Mr Hodge said. "Earlier in the year Mr) Wellington announced the i establishment of outpost'

training centres, which will provide a small number of teachers in mid-1980. “We think it is a worthwhile scheme, but it will produce only about 50 or 60 teachers next year. Mr Wellington’s latest statement will do nothing towards filling the 300 permanent vacancies, or turning i the tide of teacher resignations.” ) Mr Hodge said that, on average, every secondary school was at least one teacher short at present and some had as many as five vacancies. “Some classes have been discontinued, others are on • correspondence or doubled ) up. while others are being , taught by temporary staff,” lhe said.

1, “A record number of 1659 r teachers left secondary teaching last year, and 700 ■ of these went to occupations ■ not connected with educa- ) tion. This represents a loss to New Zealand of more t than $56M.” Mr Hodge said that the - indications so far this year ; were that many teachers - were continuing to find more [attractive occupations, and i that teacher-training recruitr ment was running well below ! quotas. 1 “The public has to realise ! that the Government is allowing State secondary edui cation to run down,” he said, i “Every parent now has the 1 duty of bringing pressure on J j the Government to imple- ’ :ment recommended improvements to secondary staffing.”